Pete Hegseth. Photo: Stephanie Reynolds / Bloomberg / Getty Images
Pete Hughes, a veteran and former Fox News star, has been confirmed by the US Senate as Secretary of Defence in a dramatic vote that came down to the tie-breaking vote of Vice President J.D. Vance, The Wall Street Journal reports .
After a 50-50 split in the Senate, US Vice President J.D. Vance, acting as President of the Senate, voted in favour of Hagesse’s nomination. This result was an important victory for President Donald Trump, although it was accompanied by significant resistance from Democrats, independent senators and even a few Republicans.
Scandals and doubts about qualifications
Hegseth was appointed to the post despite severe criticism. His opponents pointed to his limited experience in leading large organisations and his questionable views on the role of women in the military. The largest team he had previously led consisted of 100 people, and the largest budget he had overseen was $16 million – significantly less than the scale of the Pentagon.
Ghegseth’s appointment was also accompanied by personal scandals. In particular, this week, allegations emerged from his former relative, who claimed that Hegseth had committed domestic violence against his second wife. Gagset and his ex-wife have denied the allegations.
Political drama in the Senate
Three Republicans voted against Hagseth: Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
McConnell said that Hughes did not demonstrate the necessary leadership skills to manage an organisation as large and complex as the Ministry of Defence:
“Simply wanting to be a ‘change agent’ is not enough for this role,” McConnell said.
The Democrats are also determined to keep a tight rein on the issue. Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island said:
“I will watch him like a hawk and hold him accountable for every mistake.”
Big challenges ahead
As secretary of defence, Hughes will be responsible for more than 1.3 million military personnel and nearly a million civilian employees. The Pentagon has an annual budget of almost a trillion dollars.
Despite political opposition and criticism, Hagesse promised sweeping changes to the Pentagon that would be “fundamental to strengthening the US defence posture”.
This is the second time in US history that the appointment of a cabinet member required the vice president’s decisive vote. The first was Betsy DeVos in 2017, also a Trump nominee.
